Fletch: Team Selection Not At Fault

September 15, 2010

As argued on RoM, Darren Fletcher has insisted that it was not the team selection which cost us points against Rangers last night.

“We were up against a resilient Rangers side and it didn’t matter who would have played,” said Fletcher. “They would have found it equally as difficult because they doubled up in the wide areas, they didn’t let us cross the ball and, even when we did cross the ball, they had three centre-halves in there to clear it. So, no matter who played against that, it was going to prove very difficult.”

The tactics needed to change and our sloppy passes in their half needed to stop.

61 Comments

What a stupid comment from Fletcher. I'm sorry but theres players in our squad that would have stopped being so one dimensional in that game. We would have won but unfortunately for us our play in the final 3rd especially Rooneys decision making was a shambles. So as good as he can be on the pitch I'm not buying into this comment. Does this mean now that any team that plays 3 at the back will stop United. Of course it fucking doesn't.

Well, I hope I didn't offend anyone with my comments...I wasn't trashing Fletch...in fact, I've always supported him when other fans were trashing him several years ago as I have said in a previous post..

I think it's Berbatov's fault. For being named Berbatov.
Or perhaps it's the 104,387th blade of grass, counting from the left corner of whichever end you prefer, because they are twins and both at fault.

2009 - 2010: Berbatov gets blamed for every single thing.
2010 - 2011: Berbatov gets the nod as the possible saviour in every draw/loss.

Half of you reply wasn't even written properly but
so I am struggling for a reply if I am honest.

What I was able to understand did give me a
good laugh once again tho.

The sheer fact that you appear to be holding
Darren Fletcher in the same regard as players
such as Xavi and Andres Iniesta merely highlights
either your view of our team through rose tinted
spectacles or a serious lack of knowledge in
terms of football.

I don't think another person on the planet
could honestly argue that Darren 'football
genius' Fletcher be described as world class.

A good indicator of a players' calibre is when
a fellow world class footballer or any world class
sports person for that matter talks about another
player etc. For example, zidane constantly talking
about scholes, ronnie talking about messi and vice
versa, Sampras talking about federer and
so on. I don't hear too many truly world class players
talking about fletcher, do you?

Regarding your 'nobody has tried to sign Rooney'
argument well that's a worthless observation
to say the least. Rooney's quality isn't in doubt.

Furthermore, I think you will find that there have
been plenty of offers for giggs/scholes over the years.
Have you forgotten about giggsy to inter?

I understand that we should support our team
through thick and thin but things are extremely
thin at the minute and as a supporter I have
every right to voice concern at the state of
our team.

A good indicator of the quality of your team
is to ask 'how many of our first 11 would get into
the first 11 of our top rivals, both at home and
in Europe?'.

In years gone past the answer could have been
maybe 6 or 7, now I would say 3 at the most. Please
enlighten me as to the scenario whereby Darren
Fletcher turns up at the nou camp for a game, he
would get laughed out of the place yet we have to
put up with his mediocre level of
talent every week.

The bottom line is that the quality of our midfield
has taken a rapid nose dive in recent years. Young
players have failed. to develop into the quality we
need and as a result we are clinging onto WORLD
CLASS players in the form of giggs and scholes
who are too old to play 90 minutes week in week out.

Fletcher, Gibson, Carrick, Anderson are not the answer
and never will be.

The Glazers are bleeding us dry but without
investment in the team we are going to continue
to go backwards. Talk of united fans saying we can
win the champions league this year is hugely
dillusioned at best, Barcelona made us look like
2nd division boys yet went out and added David Villa
and Mascherano with fabregas to follow suit, proven
top top quality players, we on the other hand signed
a youngster with potential. Net effect = united falling
further behind.

#7,
fletcher may not grab the attention as like your xavi and iniesta, but he is very important in Man Utd. Furthermore he plays in a different mould to ur Xavi's or Iniesta's. hes a box to box midfielder, and probably the only comparable player to fletcher in that role is Essien. you dont see xavi or iniesta doing too much defending as the same as u dont see busquets doing much attacking, so i dun see the point of comparing fletcher to these players.

Mate I have nothing against you but your reasons for calling fletcher mediocre are absolutely ludicrous..
Just because zidane doesn talk about fletch does not mean he's not world class..i mean, we dont need zidane to tell us that scholesy is world class..we all know that..similarly we know how valuable fletch is to our team..we dont need some x & y to tell us how good he is..

and please do enlighten me as to how fletch,gibbo,ando,carrick are not upto the mark as you suggest??these players were the backbone of our team just a year ago before injuries and a lack of form got to them..

you are making this ridiculous assumption on the basis of 5 games..it simply amazes me as to how fickle our fans are..it's a long season mate..we have to learn to live with poor results..i accept that we are not as strong as we used to be but that does not mean we are on the decline..

The thing is others have spoken so I have no need to speak no more of the concerned subject.

A lot of people know me on here for something - sometimes I may not be right all the times but most of the times what I say stands not just for me but for every one that is connected to United

I choose to ignore you now because if I respond to you I will fall to your level - if I fall to your level I will become you - and if I become you I lose everything i have built up on here

You are wrong those that follow your warped point of view are wrong - those that believe you can buy yourselves to success are wrong

You are confusing what the Glazer's are doing to the club to what Sir Alex are doing. When Barcelona beat United in the CL final - United never turned up - let alone Fletcher not being there.

Barcelona can do what they want as can city as can real as can anyone - we the real fans do not have time to care for them - we only care for United

Manchester United were are and will forever be built on something much more poetic and passionate than all other clubs

United have a fundamental philosophy of youth which is deeply rooted within the ethical and moral fabric of the club

Not every United fan understands that and most of us that know me know what I mean when I say that.

When people like you and those that speak like you come across the way you do - not only do you disrespect yourselves you do so the club that you go out of your way to ridicule by the stupidity and choice of your words

I have not come across you neither have I sean nor SB - Man United etc - but you have not come across me either.

You can ridicule me all you want - I need not your respect on here - trust me when I say to you that I am pretty humbled that a lot of great United fans on here give the respect that maybe I don't deserve through what I write.

But that's all I need - all I need is those that matter - because some of us actually care about United enough to never give up even when things are not going right - the true measure of any fan

When fans like you turn up shouting screaming making pathetic remarks it's a shame that real fans like King Eric decide upon leaving.

They do not deserve that for they are Manchester United through and through for better or for worse - the first thing I told you which you should have paid attention to.

In closing I say to you This shirt is a symbol of defiance - those that do not believe that defiance or choose to question it United fans or non United fans can fuck off - and close the door on the way out.

@ MG - Has King Eric left? When did that happen? Regarding Fletcher if he had a consistent partner week in week out I really think we would see the best of him. As it is he ends up doing more than his fair share of work and that is priceless.

I saw the most ridiculous poll on skysports.com today, asking if Fergie was right regarding his team selection against Rangers on Tuesday. Well it's bloody easy to comment with the benefit of hindsight isn't it?! They should have asked the question before the match, I'm sure the results will have been much different. My only criticism is bringing on Owen and not having Berbatov on the bench, he'd be much better at finding a way through such a resolute defence.